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What is Educare?
Educare is a nationwide network of birth-to-five schools that partner with historically disinvested communities to transform the lives of thousands of children. The vision is to ensure that all families have access to quality early care and education in their community, promoting positive outcomes for generations to come. The Educare approach extends beyond the classroom via partnership and innovation around practice, policy, and research to help ensure every child can thrive.
Educare San Antonio will be the first Educare school in Texas. It will join a national network of 25 birth-through-age 5 schools across the country. This collaboration will elevate the quality of early childhood education and will provide a hub of innovation, inspiration, and transformation in the local community and early childhood ecosystem.
Its Educare model is rooted in research developed by experts in early childhood development, education, social work, and allied fields. Four core features compose the Educare model:
- Data utilization
- Embedded professional development
- High-quality teaching practices
- Intensive family engagement
The four core features work together with strong program leadership and community connections, comprehensively and intentionally, to achieve a high-quality early childhood program that will support children from birth to age 5 to grow up safe, healthy, and eager to learn.
Strong community partners are the building blocks of success for children and strong early childhood systems. Their involvement is crucial to eliminating educational and economic inequity and improving school readiness for young children and families across communities of need. Educare Schools are established when leaders demonstrate the willingness to invest in the lives of our youngest children and families.
Access to High-Quality Care
High-quality care in the early years is critical as the child’s brain grows faster during the first three years than at any later time in life. There are more than a million new connections made in the brain each second and these connections are the foundation all later learning will be built upon. When children receive high-quality early care, beginning at birth and continuing through public schooling, the impact on their learning, health, and long-term wellness is profound. By attending high-quality early care, children are more likely to graduate from high school and less likely to need remedial education services.
Components of high-quality care:
- Low child-teacher ratios
- Strong teacher-family relationships and family support
- Highly qualified teachers
- Data utilization
- Low staff turnover
- Accreditation or QRIS (quality rating improvement system) ratings
Educare San Antonio Project
Strengthening the Infrastructure
Partnerships are critical to the success of children, families, and the economic wellbeing of our community. Educare San Antonio collaborates with more than 20 community organizations, strengthening the early childhood ecosystem through meaningful and mutually sustaining partnerships. Advocates include early interventionists, medical and mental health providers, professional organizations advocating for children and families, childcare/early childhood education providers, and higher education institutions training the ecosystems workforce. Public and private partnerships with others who support childcare providers, provide direct services to children and families, or advocate on their behalf, are central to the Educare model.
Educare is an integral part of a pipeline to educate, train, and graduate early childhood, mental health, and related-service professionals to address workforce shortages. Leveraging partner strengths reduces duplication of services and significantly improves a child’s and family’ s future.
Educare’s model aligns with the locally proven practices of Pre-K 4 SA, furthering 10 years of city-supported investment. The Educare San Antonio initiative supports the early childhood ecosystem to address low salary wages in education for those working with our youngest children, low levels of education for early childhood staff, and high staff turnover all of which compromise the wellness of our ecosystem. Additionally, affordable quality care is a challenge for most families, as many childcare centers fail to demonstrate high-quality standards.